Phoebe
Girl name · #157 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Phoebe? In official American birth records, Phoebe has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Phoebe is currently the #157 girl name in the United States — 1,885 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #288, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 955 girls born in 2025 was named Phoebe.
Babies named Phoebe per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Phoebe first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 50 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 1,885 babies and a rank of #157. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Phoebe against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Phoebe in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Phoebe is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Phoebe is most common
Geography matters for names, and Phoebe is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Phoebe is most common in VT (12 per 1,000), DC (6.9 per 1,000), AK (6.7 per 1,000), ME (5.1 per 1,000), OR (3.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Phoebe is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Phoebe
Statistically, parents drawn to Phoebe tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Noelle, Daphne, Hallie, Celine, and Sage.
NoelleDaphneHallieCelineSageSloaneParkerCallie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Phoebe | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,885 | #157 |
| 2024 | 1,647 | #183 |
| 2023 | 1,591 | #191 |
| 2022 | 1,384 | #212 |
| 2021 | 1,240 | #247 |
| 2020 | 1,181 | #253 |
| 2019 | 1,149 | #291 |
| 2018 | 1,027 | #320 |
| 2017 | 1,021 | #318 |
| 2016 | 1,036 | #314 |
| 2015 | 1,119 | #288 |
| 2014 | 1,104 | #296 |
| 2013 | 1,065 | #301 |
| 2012 | 1,061 | #301 |
| 2011 | 1,023 | #310 |
| 2010 | 1,040 | #308 |
| 2009 | 1,018 | #322 |
| 2008 | 959 | #348 |
| 2007 | 988 | #337 |
| 2006 | 890 | #365 |
| 2005 | 730 | #425 |
| 2004 | 752 | #405 |
| 2003 | 689 | #436 |
| 2002 | 665 | #436 |
| 2001 | 752 | #389 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Phoebe?
In official American birth records, the name Phoebe first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 50 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Phoebe a popular girl name?
Phoebe ranked #157 among girls in 2025 with 1,885 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #288.
When was the name Phoebe most popular?
Phoebe peaked in 2025, when 1,885 American girls received the name (ranked #157 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Phoebe?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 955 newborn American girls was named Phoebe. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.